Animal volunteers reveal secrets behind caring for creatures great and small

Volunteers at an animal rescue centre in Sefton have revealed the secrets of what it’s like to help and support a vital service as part of the Year Of The Volunteer.

August is Animals month in Sefton’s Year Of The Volunteer campaign we met with a number of volunteers at Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre who told us that they absolutely adore what they do day in, day out.

A spokesperson for Freshfields said: “We are really happy to be part of this initiative by Sefton Council which celebrates the incredible contribution made by the volunteers across the borough.

“Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do here at Freshfields, and they fulfil the values and principles of our charity every day in helping abused, abandoned and unwanted animals across Sefton.”

Below are just a few of the many volunteers who give up their time each day to help care for unwanted, sick or homeless animals…

Gabi- Ambulance Driver

Gabi is extremely modest and, like all our volunteers, seeks no recognition for what she does and gives the credit to others. Gabi is totally committed to saving the lives of the foxes.

She said: “I love volunteering for Freshfields. The dedication you all put in is just amazing. Paul, Freshfields’ resident Fox Man, is great, and he pulled me through my first ambulance rescue tears when the fox died. I feel honoured to volunteer alongside such heartwarming humans!”

Dave Cox & Friends – Volunteer

Dave, who volunteers from Barclaycard, said: “I first became involved with Freshfields in about 2010 when we adopted a cat. They were going through the recession and staff were explaining how it hits them hard.

I obtained a £100 donation from our Barclays charity fund, but I wanted to do more.

I spoke to Helen and explained I wanted to do a Barclays EV (Employee Volunteering) Group. I was expecting about 5 people to sign up, I got 30.

Barbara Calvert – Wildlife Volunteer

Barbara has dedicated her time to working in the Wildlife Unit at Freshfields for over 10 years.

No job is too big or small for her and she is full of compassion and care for these vulnerable creatures,.

A spokesperson for Freshfields added: “We were rather sneaky and surprised an astonished Barbara when Bill Esterson called her up to the stage at our recent White Rabbit Day and presented her with our 2nd ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award.”

The Year of the Volunteer is a joint campaign between Sefton Council and Sefton CVS designed to celebrate the wonderful work that thousands of volunteers do every day of the year across Sefton.

To watch an interview with fellow Freshfields volunteer Kim, who looks after the cattery, click below!